1. Field of Use
This disclosure is directed to an image-forming apparatus and an intermediate transfer member.
2. Background
Image-forming apparatuses in which a color or black and white image is formed by using an intermediate transfer member to electrostatically transfer toner are well known. When an image is formed on a sheet of paper in a color image-forming apparatus using such an intermediate transfer member, four color images in yellow, magenta, cyan and black respectively are generally first transferred sequentially from an image carrier such as a photoreceptor and superimposed on the intermediate transfer member (the primary transfer). This full color image is then transferred to a sheet of paper in a single step (the secondary transfer). In a black and white image-forming apparatus, a black image is transferred from the photoreceptor, superimposed on an intermediate transfer member, and then transferred to a sheet of paper.
Certain intermediate transfer members are in the form of belts and contain a welded seam. These intermediate transfer belts (ITBs) having an overlap seam result in a belt with an irregular surface topology. This irregular surface topology makes it difficult for the cleaner blade to clean toner around the seam. Further, the irregular topology can cause damage to the cleaner blades by nicking the cleaning edge of the blade. The toner trapping from the poor cleaning and the blade damage results in streaking from the seam and creates an image quality problem. Many post fabrication seam-smoothing techniques, which remove material from the seam, also degrade seam strength.
Seam thicknesses have been reduced by a second welding pass across the seam, which further compresses the overlap and provides additional weld strength. Even with an almost smooth seam profile, toner trapping still exists, however to a much less extent, due to the poor cleaning. In addition, the seam resistivity increases in the region of the weld. Previous acrylic-based seam overcoats have demonstrated decreased seam printouts; however, the adhesion between the overcoat and the ITB was inadequate. It would be desirable to provide an ITB having a seam where the seam did not trap toner or change the surface resistivity in the region of the seam, and wherein the adhesion between the overcoat and the ITB is improved.